Friday, July 6, 2007
THE TERM "Islamic Thought" is being increasingly repeated nowadays in the various fields of Islamic studies and research, reaching the extent of almost threatening to replace the term "Islamic Sciences". To my mind, any educated person will not fail to tell the great difference between the two expressions.
Islamic Thought includes all scholarly and educational endeavours which recognise any aspect of the core and truth of Islam; it also includes all personal imaginations of the scholars, whether these imaginings are sound or shallow, true or false. The outcome of all these studies which is represented in articles, lectures, or debates can all be called, though variant, "Islamic Thought". On the other hand, "Islamic Sciences" mean all that Islam comprises, by faith, beliefs, regulations, texts referring to these sciences; the criteria of conviction are familiar in the rules of the science fundamentals of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).
It is necessary, however, to explain here that to be convinced by something means to rely on and adopt this thing.
Independent judgement is to be involved; this judgement, though perceived by insight, is convincing because of the rule of judging assumed by necessity by the formulating independent judgement of those who would like to follow it.
If this difference (between "Islamic Thought" and "Islamic Science") has become clear, I will repeat that the various activities of "Islamic Thought" have spread recently and have almost succeeded in taking the place of "Islamic Sciences".
Today, most of those who dedicate themselves to studying Islamic cases and problems follow various superficial readings; and come up with individual ideas and concepts acquired through these readings, regardless whether or not these ideas and concepts agree with the facts of Islam which have been revealed through its sciences and authentic texts.
Of course, it is not difficult to gain specific individualistic notions about Islam, as this does not require any effort, diligence or even research: any reading of the current media, or any superficial outlook can yield abundant ideas about Islam, regardless whether these ideas are true or false.
To realise the reality of Islam as it really is, in its dogmas and rules, is hard indeed, because it requires some accurate study of some Islamic sciences; assimilating them; and connecting them with their sources from the authentic texts and the realisation of the bases of text analysis.
Unfortunately, most of those who glorify Islam today and express their admiration for it depend for this upon the enlightened ideas they have imagined and acquired according to their background; deduced through various unauthenticated means.
In a similar way, many of those who criticise or find Islam's rules and principles problematic, depend for this on misconceived ideas they have imagined according to the precepts; again, through unreliable sources. Both these groups would sometimes give rein to their own imagination, caring nothing about the canons of the fixed, scientific truth of Islam; usually giving bias to whimsical notions.
The dividing line between the ideas supporting Islam and the ones opposing it becomes very thin indeed; so as the saying goes "better an open enemy than a false friend". Hence, the conflict — between native Islamic thoughts endorsing Islam and Islamic thoughts refuting it — is an ever continuing one because each party derives its ideology from a distinctively individualistic background and not from the reality and truth of this religion.
All true Muslims do understand that Islam has its everlasting settled derivations of fruitful scientific bearings embodied in the rules of Fiqh which had been compiled, from its detailed clues, with complete accuracy by reputable scholars and laid down with Ijma (consensus) of the majority of Ulama (scholars).
Any Muslim who understands all these precepts will certainly submit to them all without any self imaginations or fleeting ideas. However, he who gives no regard to the Islamic ordinances and their authenticity and takes Islam to be no more than a group of random ideas adopted by common people, then this kind of person does not belong, in any way, to the Islam Allah has bestowed upon His people.
This kind of person does not believe in the commandments Allah has bestowed upon Allah's people to understand and abide by. This person is the one who follows nothing but his own "thoughts" which he tries to publicise among people under the name of Islam which he believes to be as nothing but a shadow of these imaginative ideas he possesses.
Excerpted and edited from the introduction of book "Jihad in Islam: How To Understand & Practice It", Dar al-Fikr, Damascus
Ireland Online
Islamic Thought includes all scholarly and educational endeavours which recognise any aspect of the core and truth of Islam; it also includes all personal imaginations of the scholars, whether these imaginings are sound or shallow, true or false. The outcome of all these studies which is represented in articles, lectures, or debates can all be called, though variant, "Islamic Thought". On the other hand, "Islamic Sciences" mean all that Islam comprises, by faith, beliefs, regulations, texts referring to these sciences; the criteria of conviction are familiar in the rules of the science fundamentals of Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence).
It is necessary, however, to explain here that to be convinced by something means to rely on and adopt this thing.
Independent judgement is to be involved; this judgement, though perceived by insight, is convincing because of the rule of judging assumed by necessity by the formulating independent judgement of those who would like to follow it.
If this difference (between "Islamic Thought" and "Islamic Science") has become clear, I will repeat that the various activities of "Islamic Thought" have spread recently and have almost succeeded in taking the place of "Islamic Sciences".
Today, most of those who dedicate themselves to studying Islamic cases and problems follow various superficial readings; and come up with individual ideas and concepts acquired through these readings, regardless whether or not these ideas and concepts agree with the facts of Islam which have been revealed through its sciences and authentic texts.
Of course, it is not difficult to gain specific individualistic notions about Islam, as this does not require any effort, diligence or even research: any reading of the current media, or any superficial outlook can yield abundant ideas about Islam, regardless whether these ideas are true or false.
To realise the reality of Islam as it really is, in its dogmas and rules, is hard indeed, because it requires some accurate study of some Islamic sciences; assimilating them; and connecting them with their sources from the authentic texts and the realisation of the bases of text analysis.
Unfortunately, most of those who glorify Islam today and express their admiration for it depend for this upon the enlightened ideas they have imagined and acquired according to their background; deduced through various unauthenticated means.
In a similar way, many of those who criticise or find Islam's rules and principles problematic, depend for this on misconceived ideas they have imagined according to the precepts; again, through unreliable sources. Both these groups would sometimes give rein to their own imagination, caring nothing about the canons of the fixed, scientific truth of Islam; usually giving bias to whimsical notions.
The dividing line between the ideas supporting Islam and the ones opposing it becomes very thin indeed; so as the saying goes "better an open enemy than a false friend". Hence, the conflict — between native Islamic thoughts endorsing Islam and Islamic thoughts refuting it — is an ever continuing one because each party derives its ideology from a distinctively individualistic background and not from the reality and truth of this religion.
All true Muslims do understand that Islam has its everlasting settled derivations of fruitful scientific bearings embodied in the rules of Fiqh which had been compiled, from its detailed clues, with complete accuracy by reputable scholars and laid down with Ijma (consensus) of the majority of Ulama (scholars).
Any Muslim who understands all these precepts will certainly submit to them all without any self imaginations or fleeting ideas. However, he who gives no regard to the Islamic ordinances and their authenticity and takes Islam to be no more than a group of random ideas adopted by common people, then this kind of person does not belong, in any way, to the Islam Allah has bestowed upon His people.
This kind of person does not believe in the commandments Allah has bestowed upon Allah's people to understand and abide by. This person is the one who follows nothing but his own "thoughts" which he tries to publicise among people under the name of Islam which he believes to be as nothing but a shadow of these imaginative ideas he possesses.
Excerpted and edited from the introduction of book "Jihad in Islam: How To Understand & Practice It", Dar al-Fikr, Damascus
Ireland Online